Sedalia native Jerry Harlan is being remembered by family and friends for his intelligence and good nature following his death on Wednesday at age 84.
His wife, Marge, a retired Sedalia psychologist, said her husband of 62 years was a quiet and reserved man who was a source of steady support to a range of civil rights and social justice causes the pair helped champion, including Citizens Against Spouse Abuse, the Missouri Restorative Justice Coalition, the development of the Rose Nolen Black History Library and the northside Community Garden.
kAm“w6 925 2 3C:==:2?E >:?5 2?5 H2D 566A=J :?E6C6DE65 :? D4:6?46[” |2C86 D2:5 @? %9FCD52J] “w6 H2D 2 BF:6E 2?5 4@?E6>A=2E:G6 >2? H9@ 4@F=5 ?@E 36 62D:=J DH2J65 :? 9:D @A:?:@?D] w6 96=5 >2=:46 E@H2C5 ?@?6 2?5 492C:EJ E@H2C5 2==]”k^Am
kAm#2:D65 :? E96 2C62[ w2C=2? 2EE6?565 $>:E9\r@EE@? w:89 $49@@= F?E:= 96 H2D `e[ E96? =67E 9:89 D49@@= E@ 368:? 24256>:4 4@FCD6H@C< 2E &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:DD@FC: — r@=F>3:2[ H96C6 96 62C?65 E9C66 568C66D[ :?4=F5:?8 2 5@4E@C2E6 :? 496>:42= 6?8:?66C:?8]k^Am
kAmw:D 42C66C H@F=5 E2<6 E96 w2C=2?D E@ @FE\@7\DE2E6 A@D:E:@?D H:E9 $E2?52C5 ~:=[ 7@@5 AC@46DD:?8 7:C> $H:7E U2>Aj r@>A2?J[ 2?5 E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC6[ 367@C6 E96 4@FA=6 C6EFC?65 E@ $652=:2 :? `hg_] (9:=6 |2C86 3682? 96C AC:G2E6 4@F?D6=:?8 AC24E:46[ y6CCJ E@@< 2 A@D:E:@? H:E9 p54@[ 2 $652=:2\32D65 5CJ 4=62?:?8 496>:42= >2?F724EFC6C]k^Am
kAmu@C>6C p54@ AC6D:56?E r92C=6D “'2?” '2?sJ?6 E@=5 E96 s6>@4C2E E92E y6CCJ “H2D 2 3C:==:2?E >2?” H9@ D6CG65 2D E96 4@>A2?J’D 9625 496>:DE 7@C >@C6 E92? a_ J62CD]k^Am
kAm“(96? x E@@< @G6C 7@C >J F?4=6 Ws:4< '2?sJ?6X[ 96 E@=5 >6 E92E H96? y6CCJ 42>6 :? E@ :?E6CG:6H 7@C E96 ;@3 96 E@=5 >J F?4=6 ‘*@F D9@F=5 9:C6 >6] x 5@?’E <?@H 2?JE9:?8 23@FE E9:D 3FD:?6DD[ 3FE H:E9:? 2 J62C x H:== <?@H >@C6 E92? 2?J3@5J :? E9:D 3FD:?6DD]’ %92E :D 6I24E=J H92E 96 5:5[ E@@[” '2?sJ?6 D2:5] k^Am
kAm%9C@F89 J62CD @7 AC@5F4E 56G6=@A>6?E 2?5 EC@F3=6D9@@E:?8[ '2?sJ?6 D2:5 y6CCJ 96=A65 3F:=5 E96 4@>A2?J 2?5 >256 2 ?2>6 7@C 9:>D6=7 H:E9:? E96 :?5FDECJ]k^Am
kAm“w6 H2D <?@H? :? E96 :?5FDECJ 2D 2 >2? E92E C62==J <?6H H92E 96 H2D E2=<:?8 23@FE] w6 H2D D@7E DA@<6?[ 3FE H96? 96 DA@<6[ A6@A=6 =:DE6?65[” '2?sJ?6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw:D H@C< @FED:56 E96 =23 :? DFAA@CE @7 “E96 F?56C5@8” H2D C6>6>36C65 3J 7C:6?5 2?5 76==@H 4@>>F?:EJ 24E:G:DE t=56C (]%] |@CC:D[ H9@ 9625D FA %CF6 ':?6 r9FC49 @7 v@5 :? r9C:DE :? $652=:2]k^Am
kAm|@CC:D D6CG65 @? E96 C6DE@C2E:G6 ;FDE:46 3@2C5 :? $652=:2 H:E9 y6CCJ[ 2?5 5@?2E65 2? F?FD65 =@E ?62C E96 49FC49 H96? E96 w2C=2?D 96=A65 =2F?49 E96 4@>>F?:EJ 82C56? AC@;64E :? a_`_]k^Am
kAm“w6 H2D 2 G6CJ 7:?6 :?5:G:5F2=[” |@CC:D D2:5 @? %9FCD52J] “(6 2C6 2== 8@:?8 E@ >:DD 9:>] w:D :?E6C6DE H2D :? 96=A:?8 E9@D6 H9@ H6C6 492==6?865 @C @AAC6DD65] w6 H2?E65 E@ 96=A E96 F?56C5@8]”k^Am
kAm|@CC:D D2:5 96 H2D :>AC6DD65 3J E96 w2C=2?D’ 677@CED H:E9 E96 C6DE@C2E:G6 ;FDE:46 AC@8C2>[ 2D H6== 2D @?8@:?8 677@CED E@ EFC? E96 7@C>6C C6D:56?46 @7 $652=:2? #@D6 }@=6? :?E@ 2 =:3C2CJ >62?E E@ AC6D6CG6 E96 9:DE@CJ @7 3=24< |:DD@FC:2?D]k^Am
kAm“(6 H2?E E@ D66 E92E 92AA6?] W%96 w2C=2?DX 92G6 6IE6?565 E96>D6=G6D :?E@ E92E ?6:893@C9@@5 2?5 92G6 5@?6 2? 6I46==6?E ;@3[” |@CC:D D2:5] “y6CCJ 92D @776C65 9:D D6CG:46 E@ E96 4:EJ E@ :>AC@G6 :E] p== H6 92G6 E@ 5@ :D 24E @? :E]”k^Am
kAmw2C=2?’D 6=56DE 8C2?5D@?[ }2E6 r2C=:D=6[ @7 $2=E {2<6 r:EJ[ D2:5 9:D 8C2?572E96C “H2D 2=H2JD E96 8FJ E92E H2D E96C6] x7 J@F 925 2 BF6DE:@? 96 <?6H E96 2?DH6C @C H@F=5 96=A J@F 7:?5 :E]”k^Am
kAm“w6 925 2 E@@= 7@C 6G6CJE9:?8[” r2C=:D=6 D2:5] “qFE :E H2D?’E ;FDE 2 4@==64E:@? 7@C :ED @H? D2<6] w6 <?6H H92E E96J H6C6 7@C]”k^Am
kAmw6 25565 E92E y6CCJ “=@G65 $652=:2]”k^Am
kAm“w6 E@@< 2 =@E @7 AC:56 :? $652=:2[ 3FE 2=D@ =@@<65 7@CH2C5 E@ E96 7FEFC6 2?5 9@H E@ :>AC@G6 :E] w6 H2D AC@F5 E@ 36 7C@> 96C6 2?5 D66 E96 492?86D :? :E 2?5 H2D =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ >@C6 :>AC@G6>6?ED[” r2C=:D=6 D2:5] k^Am
kAm':D:E2E:@? 7@C w2C=2? H:== 36 7C@> e E@ g A]>] E@52J 2E |4{2F89=:? uF?6C2= w@>6[ d`hh $] ~9:@ pG6] $6CG:46D H:== 36 2E b A]>] $2EFC52J[ 2=D@ 2E |4{2F89=:?’D] x?E6C?>6?E H:== 36 :? rC@H? w:== r6>6E6CJ]k^Am